


When You're Touching Me, Baby I See Sparks

by ArrowOlicityLover



Category: Neighbours (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 04:21:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3836902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArrowOlicityLover/pseuds/ArrowOlicityLover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A slightly different take on recent events in the show -- Brennan's sick (and freshly dumped by Naomi, not that he wants to really dwell on that) and when Paige comes over to check up on him, sparks fly, and reignites their flame.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When You're Touching Me, Baby I See Sparks

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I *started* this a few weeks back, prior to Brennan having the man flu airing (I knew it was coming thanks to spoilers - along with Naomi dumping him). But I've taken a while to get it down and worthy of posting.  
> It incorporates SOME stuff from the show, but mostly it's of my own accord. There's also a reference to how a current storyline in the show winds up this week, referenced late in this fic (which I did since my fic does have a time jump that would mean it has already happened; again, I know all this thanks to spoilers).  
> I really do hope that Brennan and Paige (I call them Park, purely cause there was no nice sounding ship name that used his last name with her first name) get back together. They're really good together and there's still some sort of mutual feelings going on which I'm hoping is love. (And for the record, I was never into Brennan/Naomi -- not because of my love of Park, but because I never thought of them as anything romantic. It was always going to be a temporary relationship, it has always been so clear, even though the last few months they've grown close and really started letting each other in but I could always see Naomi holding back a huge amount, like she wasn't 100% committed to it. But enough about them...)  
> I hope you enjoy this. Feel free to comment if you can. I'd love to hear what you think. Or hit me up on Twitter -- @L_and_J_rule. :)

“Brennan?” Her voice comes through the front door.

“It’s-” I call out, voice croaky but overrun by a hard cough, my throat sore afterwards. I groan. “It’s open!”

I hear the door open, her heeled boots clicking on the floor as she steps in, and the door clicking shut. Then she’s in my line of sight, looking like an angel as always.

“Oh, wow,” She says. “When Mum said you were sick, I wasn’t expecting… this.”

“Uh, jeez. Thanks for the sympathy,” I reply.

“Oh, I’m sorry! It’s just… Mum… the way she said it. It made it sound like… you weren’t that sick.”

I smile. “That’s okay. I get it.”

She smiles back. “Good,” She says, with a nod.

I notice the Tupperware container in her hands. “Did Lauren make that?”

“Huh?” She replies, and I wonder what she was thinking. She realises what I said. “Oh, umm, no. I did.”

I smirk. “Even better.”

She narrows her eyes. “Mark Brennan, are you trying to flirt with me?”

I raise an eyebrow. “Do you want me to?”

She turns away slightly, but not before I catch the redness of her cheeks from her blush. “Uh, I’m going to heat some of this up for you.”

I watch her cross to the kitchen, letting my eyes drift over all of her. I miss having her around. Miss holding her… _No! She doesn’t love you anymore._

****

I gulp down a glass of water as I wait for the bowl of soup to heat in the microwave. _Stop blushing, Paige!_ _He’s not yours anymore. He’s not even available!_

The microwave beeps, letting me know it’s done. I open the door, letting it cool for a moment before I carefully extract it. I place it on a plate, arranging a few pieces of buttered toast on one side and a spoon on the other, before heading back to the couch… and him.

“Here you go,” I say, handing him the plate.

“Thanks,” he says with a smile as he takes it. He smells it. “Smells good.”

“Well I hope you like it as much as you like the smell.”

“What… is it?”

“Spicy turkey and chipotle pepper soup,” I reply. “I know it’s not the cliché chicken soup, but… this is just as hearty and it’s… I thought you’d like it.”

He picks up the spoon, dips it in, and tastes it. His eyebrow shoots up. _Oh, crap! He hates it!_

His eyes slowly lift to meet mine, my heart pounding. “It’s really good.”

“You’re not just saying that,” I reply. “Are you?”

“Nooo,” he replies. “I mean it. It’s _really_ good!”

I smile, relaxing. “Good.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Silence. Awkward silence. Awkward silence of us just staring at each other, and I let myself indulge in the fantasy of crossing to him, placing his soup on the coffee table, straddling him and…

“Well… uh… I’ll leave you to enjoy it,” I say, stepping towards the front door as I push the fantasy out of my mind.

“Stay,” he pleads.

I stop, back to him and heart lodged in my throat. _Dangerous territory, Paige_.

“We don’t get to talk much anymore,” he says. “And it’s not like I have any company. Tyler’s working… or not.”

I turn partly back. “Why don’t you call Naomi?”

He looks… sad? _What’s going on?_

“She’s… busy,” he replies. “With Paul.”

I know this – staying when I’m not sure how we feel about each other – is a bad idea. _Very_ bad. But he’s alone. And sick. I sigh. “Okay.”

I sit on the arm of the couch.

“You know you can sit down properly,” he says, getting a spoonful of soup.

I slide down onto the couch. He smiles, one that has my heart leaping into my throat. _Surely he’s not trying to flirt? He has a girlfriend! He shouldn’t be making me feel this way!_

****

I love hearing her talk. Not that I’m listening to her right now… I’m just watching her. She’s always bubbly, even when she’s going through a hard time – like Matt’s death – she’s still got that light in her. And she cares about others. _That’s what I like about her – she always puts others’ feelings before her own._

She’s not looking at me, hands moving as she explains something.

And I can’t stop smiling.

“You know what I mean?” She asks, turning to look at me.

“Yes.”

She tilts her head, her ‘I know you’re lying’ look. “You weren’t listening.”

“I was!”

She narrows her eyes. “Really?”

I sigh. I can’t lie to her. Well… not to the extent of getting away with it. She always knows. “Okay, I admit it. I wasn’t.”

“ _HA!_ She exclaims, pointing at me. “I _knew_ it!”

“Hey! Be nice! I’m sick!”

“Oh, come on! You’re not _that_ sick!”

I sigh, flashing back to Naomi’s bitter remark – _“It’s just a cold, Mark. I’m pretty sure you’re going to survive.”_

“Hey,” she says, concerned, her hand on my left knee. “What’s going on?”

“I’m sick.” _And freshly dumped. And I miss you._

She tilts her head. “It’s more than just that.”

“It’s… nothing.”

“Uh, no, not good enough,” she says. “You wanted me to stay. Now… spill.”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to burden you with it.”

She scoffs. “As if, Brennan,” she replies, lightly slapping my left knee. “You’ve been there for me lately. Being a good friend when I’ve needed it. Now it’s your turn.”

I smile. “Thanks for the offer,” I reply. “But I’m okay.”

“You sure?” She asks. “Cause your face is _way_ too cute to have a furrowed brow.”

I smile, chuckling a little. “I’m sure.”

She slowly nods. “Alright. But if you ever want to talk about it… I’m here.”

She’s gently rubbing my knee. The way I did when we were together. My heart tightens at that thought. I love touching her. I love kissing her. I love _her_.

I miss her. I miss _us_.

Breaking up with her was a huge mistake.

****

It’s late afternoon – early evening, really – when he starts fighting sleep. He’s resting his head against the back cushion of the couch, legs tucked up to allow me to sit, his quilt draped over him. His eyes keep drooping shut, and then flitter open.

“I’m… going to go,” I say, rubbing his knee. “Let you sleep.”

“Okay,” he mumbles, eyes closing till they’re only just open.

I stand and he adjusts himself to lie down. The couch is only just long enough for him to lie down and not be cramped, his feet pressed up against the arm rest where I was just seconds ago. I adjust his quilt, making sure he’s properly covered.

His eyes are completely shut, his breathing slow, when I adjust the top of his quilt. I can’t stop myself brushing the back of my fingers over his forehead – maybe it’s to wipe away his sweat, or maybe it’s just simply that I miss touching him.

Just as I pull away, he grabs my wrist startling me. His fingers wrap around my wrist, his eyes still closed.

“I love you,” he mumbles.

Those three words knock the air from my lungs. The world spins, but I can’t move. _He loves me. He wants to be with me again._ He lets go, pulling me back to reality. I shake my head, wiping the thoughts from my head. _He’s sick. He probably thinks he’s saying it to Naomi._

“Sweet dreams, Brennan,” I say.

I quickly walk to the door, not stopping till I close the door behind me. I slowly exhale, shaking slightly. I close my eyes, trying to push away his words; to erase them from my mind.

But no matter how hard I try, I just _can’t_.

It echoes over and over and over.

_I love you_.

****

**2 weeks later**

“Look whose come to see you,” Mum says.

I look up from my laptop, Mum walking over to me. Then my eyes fall on Brennan, whose walking in behind her.

“Hey,” he says, smiling at me.

“Hey,” I reply, smiling.

Mum looks between us, the same way she did when we were together – that proud mother hen look. “I’ll leave you two to talk,” she says. “Or not.”

“ _Mum_ ,” I reply, warningly.

She just smiles. She turns to leave, smiling and patting Brennan’s shoulder before she leaves. He looks awkward before he looks at me again.

“Step into my office,” I mock, gesturing to the chair across the table from me.

He smiles, chuckling as he walks over and sits down. He places his hands on the table, clasping them. I slowly shut my laptop, sliding it aside as I wonder what he’s thinking.

“I just wanted to say thank you,” he says. “For coming over when I was sick.”

“No worries,” I reply.

“I would’ve come over earlier, but…” He sighs.

“Work has kept you busy,” I reply. “Run off your feet.”

He nods. “Yeah,” he softly says.

“You know… you didn’t _have_ to come over just to say that.”

“I could’ve sent a text, I know,” he replies, with a smile. “But… I would’ve missed seeing your beautiful smile.”

And there it is again – the flirting. Accidental or not, it’s cruel. He’s got a girlfriend, I’m his ex. We’re over. Things were awkward between us after we broke up. But lately… lately we’ve slipped back into how we were before we were together. The sparks flying again. And it’s nothing but heartache for me. Because it just reminds me of what I can’t have. _Him_.

“I also wanted to…”

“Yes?”

“Apologise,” he says. “For anything I said. That was… out of the ordinary. I was dosed up on some pretty heavy cold and flu medicine. I was delirious.”

“Eh,” I reply, waving it off. “No need to apologise for something that never happened.”

I see sadness etched on his face – just for a moment. _Was he hinting at the ‘I love you’?_

“Right,” he says, smiling but his eyes still scream of sadness. “Well, I’m going to go.”

“You sure?” I ask, as he stands. “You can stay if you like.”

“Thanks, but… another time,” he replies. My heart tightens with guilt. “Catch you later.”

I nod. “Have a good day.”

“You too.” He smiles, before walking out.

I reach for my laptop, kicking myself for making him sad. He deserves to be happy.

“Actually…”

I look up in time to see him walk back into the room. He looks awkward. I frown.

“Brennan,” I say, concerned. “What’s going on?”

He just stands there, a few steps into the room, looking awkward. I get up and cross to him, placing my hands on his arms. His wonderful, well-toned arms. That I miss having wrapped around me so bad.

“I wasn’t going to bring it up, but… I can’t stop thinking about it,” he says.

“Oooo-kay…” I reply, confused.

“When I was drifting off to sleep at the end of your visit,” he says, “I… I said something to you.”

“You did? I don’t remember.”

He sighs, heavily. _Annoyed_. “Don’t _do_ that!” He says. “Pretending like you don’t remember! Because I know! I _know_ you remember! You’re too smart to _not_ remember.”

“Hey, I don’t always remember, thank you very much,” I reply. “Sometimes I forget what people ordered at _Harold’s_.”

He huffs, shifting slightly. “Two weeks ago, I said that I love you,” he says. “And you might be okay brushing it aside and pretending that it never happened, but I…” He sighs. “I _can’t_.”

I look at him, stunned.

“I don’t know if you know, but I…” He hesitates. “While I was sick. Actually… just a few hours before your visit.” He hesitates again. “Naomi broke up with me.”

“Oh my God,” I say softly. “I’m so sorry.”

He nods. “I didn’t want to tell you when I was sick, because I… I was too heartbroken to bring it up.”

I rub his arm. “Awww, you poor thing. As if being sick wasn’t bad enough.”

He smiles. “I may have been… delirious,” he says. “But what I said was honest.”

I gape, stunned and unable to move. _Oh my God!_

“I’m in love with you,” he says, softly. “I have been for some time. And I regret not realising it earlier. I also regret not realising sooner that breaking up with you was a mistake.”

He cups my head with both hands, resting his forehead against mine. I close my eyes, trying to get my heartrate down.

“I’m in love with you,” he whispers.

I feel his forehead leave mine, replaced a moment later by his lips as he kisses my forehead. Then he slips from my touch.

I open my eyes, finding myself alone.

And reeling.

_He loves me._

_He really does love me._

****

I hear the front door opening as I’m walking through the corridor from my bedroom to the living area.

“Tyler?” I ask. I look in the kitchen, expecting to see him looking in the fridge.

But the kitchen’s empty. I turn around, spotting her staring at me as she closes the front door behind her. She’s stunned, like a deer caught in headlights. My heart tightens – _is she hear to break my heart?_

Her eyes drift down to my chest, exposed under my half buttoned shirt, my skin still a little wet from my shower. Her eyes stay on my chest. She gulps. _Maybe not_.

“Paige,” I say, loud enough to snap her from her daze.

Her eyes shoot up to lock with mine. For an extremely long minute, she doesn’t say anything. And when she does finally speak, her voice breaks.

“I’m in love with you too.”

Neither of us move for a minute. Then I’m not sure who moves first, but in a second we’re meeting halfway, lips crashing together as we run our hands over each other. With tongues sliding over each other, I undo her jacket and slowly tug it off. She rips my shirt open, pulling it down my arms and tossing it aside. I pull her shirt off, tossing it aside with one hand as I hook my other around her back and pull her flush against me. Her hands slide all over my body, her touch sending heat through my veins. I slide my other hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head. _I’m never letting you go again._

Her hands slide up into my hair, and it’s her nails digging into my scalp that pushes me over the edge. I slide both my hands down, over her butt down to the back of her thighs. I lift her up effortlessly, her legs wrapping round the top of my hips. She moans into my mouth, my erection rubbing against her.

With my arms wrapped around her, holding her tight against me, her hands in my hair and our tongues dancing, I carry her to my bedroom.

****

I stir, fighting off sleep. I feel his arm slide over my tummy, fingers hooking around my right side and he pulls me closer. He kisses from my shoulder, along my shoulder blade to the base of my neck.

“Mmmmm,” I hum, relaxing into him.

“I never want to leave this bed,” he says, before kissing up my neck.

“Mmmm, me too,” I reply, turning my head to him as he kisses along my cheek towards my lips.

We kiss, slow and passionate. We rest our foreheads against each other’s.

“Move in.”

“ _What?!_ ” I ask, pulling back to look him in the eyes.

“Move in,” he says, cupping my cheek. “I don’t want to spend a morning waking up without you in my arms.”

“I… I…” I stammer. “I don’t know.” I roll over to face him. “It’s just… Mum. With Matt’s death, and Amber spending so many nights with Daniel at Paul’s penthouse… and then everything with Bailey, and now that he’s gone to Queensland with Lou…”

“Hey,” he says, soothingly. He rubs his thumb over my cheekbone. “You don’t have to decide right away.”

I smile and nod.

“And FYI,” he adds. “It’s not like I’m asking you to move to the other side of the world. We’re just across the street from Lauren.”

“I know,” I reply, tracing random patterns on his back with my fingers. “It’s just… right now…”

“It feels like a world away,” he replies, nodding.

“More like a universe.”

He smiles. “Okay, let’s make a deal.”

I narrow my eyes slightly. “You have me intrigued.”

“You stay over the road, with Lauren.”

“Mmmhmmm.”

“But you sleep here sometimes,” he says, playing with my hair. “Because much as I understand that you want to be there for your Mum – I do too – I also want to be selfish, and have you all too myself.”

“I accept this offer.”

“Oh, I haven’t even gotten to the best part.”

“ _Oh_?” I ask, eyebrow raised.

“Mmmhmmm,” he replies, hooking his left arm around me. He pulls me closer, pressing me completely against him, our bodies entwining. “You,” he says, looking down at me. “Move in whenever you’re ready.”

“Hmmm.”

His eyes narrow. “What’s running through your mind?”

“I was just thinking…”

“Yes,” he replies, fingers entwining in my hair. “That maybe…” I look down. “I don’t know.”

“Hey,” he softly says, gently holding my chin with his other hand and lifting my face to look at him. “Talk to me.”

“I was just thinking… that maybe…” I stare into his hazel eyes. I sigh. “Maybe you could… stay. With me. And Mum.”

He stays quiet, just looking at me. And my mind races. _Stupid idea! STUPID!_

“I mean, just for a little bit. The house just feels so… empty. Especially now that it’s just Mum and me.” I shake my head. “Ugh, you know what? Forget it. It was a stupid idea.”

“Hey,” he says, cupping my face with both hands. “It wasn’t stupid.”

“It was.”

“No, it wasn’t,” he says, with a slight smile. “I like it.”

“You do?”

He nods. “I’ve been feeling guilty lately, having dragged Matt’s name through the dirt by exposing the bribes he took from Dimato just so I could catch the bastard. I’ve been looking for a way to make it up to her. And I think that moving in could help her out a lot.”

I smile, relieved. “Okay. So it’s settled.”

“Only if she agrees to it.”

“Pfft, as if she’d ever turn you down,” I reply. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s been imagining us having babies.”

He raises an eyebrow.

“Not that I’m saying that we’ll go that far.”

He smiles. “I actually can see me spending the rest of my life with you.”

“Oh, _really_?”

He leans in. “Ah huh,” he whispers, before kissing me.

After the kiss, I rest my head on his chest. Our bodies fit together so well. I know that’s such a cliché thing to say, but it’s true. It’s like our bodies were made for each other. Two halves that make a whole. I feel at home in his arms.

_This is home._

_And I love it._

_Just like I love him._

_And he loves me._


End file.
